Page:The Book of Scottish Song.djvu/107

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[ by in May, 1795, for Sir. Thomson's collection. Tune, "Humours of Glen." "Burns," says Dr. Currie, "wrote professedly for the peasantry of his country, and by them their native dialect is universally relished. To a numerous class of the natives of Scotland of another description, it may also be considered as attractive in a different point of view. Estranged from their native soil, and spread over foreign lands, the idiom of their country unites with the sentiments and descriptions on which it is employed, to recall to their minds the interesting scenes of infancy and youth—to awaken many pleasing, many tender recollections. For Scotsmen of this description more particularly, Burns seems to have written his song, Their groves o' sweet myrtle, a beautiful strain, which, it may be confidently predicted, will be sung with equal or superior interest on the banks of the Ganges or of the Mississippi, as on those of the Tay or the Tweed."]

[ first four lines of this song belong to an old stall ballad called "The strong walls of Derry." The rest were added by for Johnson's Museum. Tune, "Failte na Miosg."